Microbiome of drinking water tanks in Uruguay

Drinking water distribution systems (DWS) support a diverse microbial communityforming biofilms attached to the walls of the pipes. If the hydraulic conditions of the distribution network overcome the adhesive forces of the biofilm, these can detach from the walls of the pipe being potentially capable of impacting system performance in terms of a decrease in its flow rate, the final quality and the safety of the water supplied. Different parameters within SDAPs they can influence how material and biofilms accumulate on pipe walls. Considering that biofilms degrade the quality and safety of water through the potential hosting of undesirable microorganisms, realistic and in situ research on the formation of biofilms in SDAP is essential to understand the factors that influence their development.This project proposes the beginning of studies of the microbiome of water, biofims and sediments of water tanks.Biological and environmental data will be integrated in an attempt to help develop tools for management and monitoring in order to have a new framework for risk analysis and an early biological system warning for drinking water distribution systems.